


25 Days Of Kastle

by crimsoncomradeposts



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: 25 Days Of Kastle, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-09 04:34:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 20,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12880266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsoncomradeposts/pseuds/crimsoncomradeposts
Summary: 25 Kastle one shots, each one uploaded daily for the first 25 days of December in order to celebrate both Kastle and Christmas. Stories will range from fluff to smut.





	1. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Shopping. It’s one thing that Frank rarely, if ever, does. In fact, the only thing he’s really shopped for lately are groceries. He’s had no need for anything other than necessities as of late, but of course, that never does stop Karen from getting her way. She’d stopped by his modest (and undecorated) apartment - which happens to only be two blocks down from her own place - and, boy, if she didn’t let him have it for not getting in the “Christmas spirit”. Could she really blame him? He’d never been one for holidays anyway, as it stood prior to Maria’s passing, he had generally never been home for the holidays thanks to his tours overseas. Nothing Christmasy about being away from family. These days, the only family he’s got is Karen, and this will be the first Christmas that they’ve been in each other’s lives. Though he’s thankful for no longer being alone on the holidays, it still hasn’t changed the fact that he’s never been the decoratin’ type. That was always Maria’s thing, until today.

Frank is currently hunched over a cart that, as far as he’s convinced, has been built for a child. It’s half of the length of a normal cart with the smallest of handles, which Karen had so kindly pointed out, is dwarfed considerably by the size of his hands. He hates being here; hates the home goods store that smells entirely too strongly of vanilla and clove, hates the crackling of the overhead radio which is blasting Christmas music of all eras. But what he doesn’t hate is the joy that radiates off of Karen as she scours through the aisles in search of the perfect Christmas decorations that will soon fill his apartment.

They’ve been here for well over an hour, and though he’s just about had his fill of the place (not to mention the elderly women who keep eyeing him as he dutifully follows behind Karen with the cart), he just can’t bring himself to rush Karen out of this place. It isn’t often that he finds her this happy. In fact, he doesn’t think he ever has.

As Karen drops a container of ornaments into the cart, Frank raises a single brow in silent question as to what he could /possibly/ need these for. It’s not like he-

“What, we’re getting you a tree,” Karen exclaims, a broad smile spreading practically from ear to ear.

Both of his brows are raised now, and soon, he’s shaking his head from side to side.

“No. No way. What the hell am I going to do with a tree?” His tone is firm at first, but soon ends with a brief laugh. He’s amused by her antics, but his point still stands. He has no use for a tree.

“You could look at it.” Her smile has shifted to one that reads of playfulness, and it’s as this expression that Frank snorts out another laugh. “You could put presents under it.”

Frank opens his mouth to object now. His kids are gone. He has no use for a tree, and he has no one in the apartment to buy presents for. But the moment that he opens his mouth, Karen is waving a finger in the air to silence him.

“Which /I/ am going to buy for you,” she says with her familiar tone of insistence. He knows not to fight her on this, though he desperately wants to. Once Karen sets her mind to something, there’s no turning back, no matter how hard he tries.

“Fine,” he concedes before motioning to the cart that’s just about filled to the brim. “But can we go after we get it? Pretty sure you ain’t gonna fit a tree on here. Besides, think you’ve bought out this place’s Christmas supplies.”

Karen lifts a hand to sweep back a lock of hair behind her hair while she nods simultaneously. “Okay,” she says with a quiet contentment. “I think we can do that.”

Just as before, Frank begins to push the cart when Karen starts to mosey on down the aisle, following closely behind her until they reach their final destination prior to checkout. Karen’s already got a tree in mind, and with a flick of her hand, she’s directing him to the one she wants. It’s a four foot pre-lit tree made to look as if it was the real deal. Christmas may not be his thing, but Frank doesn’t hate it. In fact, he thinks it’s a good pick. Handing off the cart to Karen, he approaches the row of shelves that hold the boxes for various trees, and grabs the box that corresponds with Karen’s choice. Soon, the pair are heading back down the aisle towards the checkout area, ready to head home and deck the halls.


	2. Graceful

"You've got to be kidding me, right?" Frank is raising both brows, his voice is laced with exasperation, and he desperately wants to be anywhere other than here.

Karen's smiling up at him, and he when he looks down at her, he swears that he's able to see a twinkle of mischievousness in her eyes. Though he's annoyed at the prospect of what she's sprung on him, he has to admit that her spontaneity is something that he admires. Huffing out a breath, the action visible as it expels from his mouth in a cloud, he shakes his head and mutters to himself that he can't believe he's been suckered into this.

"Don't look like that," she says, reaching out with a hand to take his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Besides, I made reservations, so it's not like you can back out now."

There it is. The mischievous smile has made yet another appearance. Frank's gaze flickers over her shoulder to look at the crowd that's gathered below. Dozens of residents and tourists alike have gathered at the outdoor rink that sits at the bottom of the stairs that they stand atop. Frank doesn't think he's ever been skating in his life, and he sure as hell didn't plan on starting tonight, but like always, Karen has other plans. He's learned well by now that what Karen wants, Karen gets.

Karen shifts her weight from foot to foot while waiting all too patiently for Frank's compliance. She knows that it will come. Keeping her hand in his, she focuses her attention on him, watching as he assesses the scene behind her. His expression is stoic, and he looks less than thrilled with her plans for them, but she's never lead him astray, he's aware of that. Soon, his hand is squeezing hers in silent concession, and before she knows it, the pair are walking down the stairs towards the white tent that holds the booths for reservations and rental skates.

After checking in and paying for their time on the ice, Karen and Frank grab their skates and make their way to the benches that are designated for patrons. Taking a seat on a bench across from Frank, Karen bends down to slip off her shoes, soon replacing them with the skates she had been given. Peering up, she spots Frank who dons a look of serious concentration as he focuses on his own skates. Karen can't help but laugh, the sound causing Frank to look up from his current task. Almost immediately, his expression softens, and he, too, is smiling.

"Oh, you think this funny," he asks, soon laughing along with her. "Just you wait until we get out on the ice. You'll be wishing you could record this."

"Lucky for you, I've got my phone," she replies with a wink. Rising up from her spot on the bench, she reaches out for him. "Come on, I'm eager to see these skills."

Unlike Karen, Frank is slower to get to his feet, and it's clear to her as to why. He's horribly unsteady in these skates. He'll be lucky to get out of here without so much as a twisted ankle, she thinks to herself. It's a thought that causes her to bite her bottom lip to prevent yet another amused smile to form, not that it would matter if she did, Frank is so focused on being able to walk to the rink with her that she doubts he'd notice her expression let alone anything else that goes on around them. It's nice to see him worried about something that /isn't/ death or something equally as morbid.

Finally reaching their destination, Karen is first to step out onto the ice. Unlike Frank, she is a natural at ice skating, a skill she has her upbringing in Vermont to thank. Skating backwards just enough to allow Frank access to the rink, she finds him unwilling to budge from the spot on the rink's carpeted edge.

"Oh, come on," she says with a wave of both hands. "Take it one step at a time. I'm here, I'll help."

She can't help but smile at the look of disbelief he shoots in her direction. She knows that she's only capable of so much help, as does he. If he goes down on the ice, he's sure to bring her down with him. Slowly, he puts his right foot out onto the ice, sliding it back and forth a few times to test the steadiness. This is a lost cause, he knows he'll be on his ass more times than he can count (and it'll more than likely start the moment his other foot meets the ice), but she's out there urging him on like she's proud of him for getting this far. She's got more confidence in him than he has in himself.

His left foot steps onto the ice, and using both hands to grip the rink's ledge, Frank launches himself out onto the ice with the shakiness of a child who's on the ice for their first time. Karen's laughing now at his bent knees and arms outstretched at his sides as if this stance will do anything to help his balance. Frank is nearing her now, and soon, he's laughing along with her. But the laughter doesn't laugh for long. As he reaches her, he can feel his feet slipping out from underneath him. Immediately, his laughter ceases, and as he feels himself tipping backwards, Karen reaches out for him just as he does the same to her. Grabbing onto one another, the pair tumble down onto the ice, Frank taking the brunt of the fall with Karen on top of him. The look of exasperation from earlier finds Frank again, and Karen is looking down at him with a look of surprise. Quickly, however, her shocked expression softens and shifts to one of amusement, and it isn't long until Frank is mirroring her look. Leaning down, Karen places a chaste kiss to his mouth before pulling back just long enough to speak.

"You are the world's worst skater, Frank."

Frank chuckles, his hands never once leaving her waist as she remains atop of him. "Yeah, well, that may be true, but if it gets me to where we are now, then I plan on being this damn clumsy for the entirety of our time here."


	3. Deck the Halls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen insists that Frank help her decorate her apartment.

Outside, the snow is falling in large, heavy flakes, coating the streets and buildings of New York City in a blanket of white. It's bitterly cold, Karen thinks she heard on the news earlier that it was twenty below zero, but inside her tiny apartment it's cozy and warm, making for the perfect day for decorating. The smell of coffee and hot cocoa intermingles in the tiny apartment, and on the couch sleeps the pit-bull that Frank rescued all those months ago, his tiny snores hidden by the Christmas music that plays from the portable radio on the coffee table. Frank's sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and his brow is creased in concentration while his hands hold a rounded glass ornament. He's trying to decide just where on the tree he can add this decoration. He and Karen had already just about filled the entirety of the tree, he isn't even sure more ornaments are needed, but Karen is adamant that they use them all. Karen approaches him, her hands wrapped firmly around a warm mug of cocoa, her movements causing the tiny marshmallows that float atop the drink to slosh gently in the mug.

"There's a spot right there," she says, reaching out with a hand to point to where she means.

Frank does as he's instructed and places the ornament in the vacant spot on the tree. He's never been good at decorating. That was always Maria's thing, and now, it's become Karen's. She's got an eye for this, he's discovered. In the short amount of time that he's known her, he's learned that she can transform a seemingly bare apartment into the stuff you'd only seen in magazines during the holiday season. It's a testament to how she is as an individual; she may seem like your average citizen, but upon getting to know her, she becomes something truly beautiful both on the inside and the outside. Much like the current state of her apartment, she mesmerizes him. Stepping back to stand beside her once again, the two fall into a comfortable silence as they stare at the unlit tree, assessing it for any last minute modifications.

"Think that's all there is," Frank finally says, breaking the silence. "We've used up everything, not that we could fit anymore on there as it is." He chuckles, and with a shake of his head, he lifts a hand to scratch at the back of his neck briefly.

Karen nods in agreement, keeping her eyes on the tree as she hands off her mug of cocoa to Frank who takes it without hesitation in order to take a drink. She knows that he prefers coffee to most drinks, but he's come to love the way she makes hot cocoa. It isn't any of that boxed or bagged shit. She does it from scratch, says it's a family tradition that she likes to carry on each year on her own. He likes that. He thinks it's admirable, and more so, he thinks it's damn tasty. By the time he hands the mug back to her, the drink is half gone along with the marshmallows. He loves how they melt into the drink and make it even creamier than it already is. Karen's used to him drinking just about all of the cocoa, so it's no surprise to her when he hands back a nearly emptied mug. It makes her happy that he enjoys it so much.

Upon handing back the mug, Frank moves away from Karen now to approach the tree. Bending down, he plugs in the light strand into the wall's outlet, illuminating the tree in a glow of white lights. Frank had always preferred the multicolored strands himself, but he's discovered that Karen's a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas decorations. She prefers anything that reminds her of her upbringing, and how can he say no to that?

Again, he moves back to her side, though this time he's wrapping an arm around her shoulder to pull her close until their sides are pressed against one another. Karen leans her head to the side until it comes to rest on his shoulder, her hands still gripping the mug of cooling cocoa.

"Looks good," she says in approval. Frank hums in agreement, his fingers tightening their grip on her arm slightly. Off the side, Frank's dog (whom Karen has so lovingly named Titan) stirs and emits a yawn as it begins to awaken from its sleep. Outside it's snowing heavily, but in here in Karen's apartment all is right with the world, if only for today. But Frank would take that, and so will Karen. It's days like this that help the two of them heal from past wounds and look ahead to building more happy memories such as this.


	4. The Gift That Keeps On Giving (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank goes in search of the perfect gift for Karen.

Buying presents for Christmas has always been so effortless for Frank. The kids always got the latest toys and gadgets so that was a no brainer, and Maria was always a sucker for a good book, or fifty. But Frank had only known Karen for the better part of a year, and she’s proven much more difficult to choose a present for. As far as he can recall, she doesn’t seem to be much for jewelry, and though she’s well educated and well read, he noticed that she wasn’t one to keep many books at her place aside from the plethora of law books she had on hand from when she employed by the now dissolved Nelson and Murdock.

He could go the easy route, ask an associate at a department store for help. The women who work at those places are always up on the latest fashions and what not. Sure, there was that option, or he could go for something more practical. Like perhaps an alarm system. Lord knows she needs one of those. Frank couldn’t even begin to count the amount of times that he’d gotten into her apartment with no trouble at all. She calls it breaking and entering. He calls it a safety check. One in which she fails each and every time.

But as Frank is about to make his exit from the store in which he currently occupies, a glimmer of gold captures his attention from the corner of his eye. He turns to find a a necklace dangling from a display, the slender gold bar that hangs vertically from the chain capable of being customized. It hadn’t been what he was looking for, and yet it was perfect all the same. It was understated, and soon, it would be personalized to make it all the more special.

-

The engraving had taken the better half of an hour, but now the box containing his gift for Karen is tucked securely in the inside pocket of his coat, near his chest. He hopes she’ll like what he has to offer.

His boot-clad feet carry him down the street at record speed. He’s all too eager, not to mention a tad nervous, to give her this present. Before long, he’s at her front door, knocking his knuckles against the wood. He can hear movement from within, sounds of shuffling feet mixed with something else that he can’t quite put his finger on. His brows crease in concentration as he listens in, doing his best to figure out what’s going on on the other side of the door. It’s taking her far too long to open the door, and for a moment, he finds the familiar sense of dread and worry filling the pit of his stomach. But before he can reach for the door again, it swings open, revealing a rather flustered Karen.

Her cheeks are reddened and her hair is tousled. Frank immediately glances over her shoulder for any signs of trouble.

“Frank,” she says in surprise, her blue eyes a stark contrast to the redness of her face.

When Frank fails to see any cause for alarm, his gaze meets hers, and when he speaks, a smirk begins to form. “You running laps in there, Page?”

He rarely uses her last name. It’s too formal, he finds. But he does enjoy tossing it in every now and again when he’s able to jab her with a good joke. Karen exhales loudly, nodding her head as she lifts both hands to push the hair away from her face.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s exactly what I was doing.”

She steps aside and allows him to enter her apartment before closing the door. They’d agreed to exchange presents today, a week before Christmas. Not that Frank has anything better to do on the actual holiday itself, but Karen had told him in the weeks before that she’d be traveling home to Vermont to see her family. It’d be the first time since she’d moved to the city that she’d go back home. Frank has understood, but he’d miss her all the same.

With the door now closed behind them, Frank makes his way to the small living space where, by some miracle, Karen has managed to squeeze in a Christmas tree between the window and her tv. It isn’t until now that Frank realizes just how nervous he is. He hasn’t really known Karen all that long, surely not long enough to know what she truly likes and doesn’t. He’s hoping that his gift will hit the mark. It’s sentimental, he thinks to himself in silent reassurance. Frank doesn’t both with sitting on the couch, instead, he stands between it and the coffee table, facing Karen when she approaches him.

“Why don’t we start with your gift,” he says, ready to get this over with.

Karen nods, a smile beginning to form as she takes a step closer. Frank reaches into his breast pocket to retrieve the slender white box, soon handing it off to Karen.

He’s waiting with bated breath now as she takes her time undoing the bow that secures the box. Allowing the ribbon to pool down onto the coffee table, Karen opens the box to reveal the slender pendant and chain. Engraved on the charm are a set of coordinates. Karen lifts her gaze to meet Frank’s, and she doesn’t even have to ask. He knows full well what she’s wondering.

“They’re coordinates to here,” he says with a shrug. “It’s where I protected you from the hail of gunfire, and it’s where you accepted me back into your life after swearing me off.”

Karen’s blinking away tears now, and sniffling, she speaks softly. “It’s beautiful, Frank.” And it is. She loves that he’s chosen gold, but even more so, she loves the thought behind the gift. Removing the necklace from the box, she turns her back to him and lifts it up to her neck. “Put it on for me?”

Frank does as he’s asked, his hands making quick work of the clasp. Once on, he lets go of the necklace, letting the chain fall onto her neck, the pendant a light (and now constant) reminder of him. Turning back around to face him, Karen practically beams from ear to ear.

“What until you see what I got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be part one of two, with the second part uploaded tomorrow (December 5th). Stay tuned!


	5. The Gift That Keeps On Giving (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen goes in search of the perfect gift for Frank.

Karen always seemed to have a knack for giving the most perfect gifts. It was a skill that she’d long since chalked up to her attention to detail. Whenever someone would mention an item in passing, she’d store the tidbit in the back of her mind for later when it would come in handy, much like today.

Frank may have never mentioned anything regarding wanting a pet, but she could see the light that vanished from his eyes when his beloved pit bull had passed. It had only been a few weeks now since they had to put the gentle giant down, and Karen worries that it’s far too soon to be making her current purchase, but deep down in the pit of her stomach, she knows full well that he’ll appreciate the sentiment. New York City is filled with shelters, most of which (much to Karen’s dismay), are high kill. So she called around and visited as many as she could, searching for the perfect puppy for Frank. In the end, she found one who reminded her exactly of him.

It had started out with a rough life, both having been in more fights than she’d care to hear about, and living on the streets. It was a scrapper, that much was certain, and as the woman at the shelter had informed Karen, if she hadn’t come along, the dog would have been a goner in a matter of days. It isn’t trusting, the woman told Karen as they walked down the long path between rows of cages, and that makes for a dangerous animal; it had lashed out at the shelter workers more times than they’d care to admit. But immediately upon meeting the frightened pup, there was a connection that not even the shelter employees could deny. He was frightened, battered and bruised, but even so, as Karen lifted her hand to the cage and spoke softly to him, the puppy approached her, his tongue soon poking out to lap at her hand.

He was perfect, and he reminded her so much of Frank. She resolved right then and there to put a deposit down so that she could begin the adoption processes. Thankfully, she had timed the adoption just right, and she was able to take home the pup in time for her present exchange with Frank. She’d taken dog, which she would allow Frank the honor of naming, home with her and got all the necessities set up in her bedroom so that he could rest. Karen had barely shut the door to her bedroom before a knock sounded on her front door. It was Frank.

-

With the golden necklace securely clasped around her neck, Karen finds herself both increasingly nervous and giddy for her surprise. She’s not entirely sure how Frank will react, but she’s hoping that he’ll take it well.

Stepping away from him, she crosses the small space of the living room towards the door that separates her from the bedroom. Quickly, she opens the door to slip inside, shutting it behind her. She doesn’t want the puppy running out before she’s ready.

For a fleeting moment, a multitude of thoughts ranging from innocent to something much more seductive race through Frank’s mind. He isn’t sure what she’s up to, but he can hear thumping from behind the door.

“You, uh, you need any help in there,” he asks as he remains in the living room, his eyes focused only on the closed door.

More thumping can be heard, but soon, Karen is calling back out to him, her voice slightly muffled by the door. “No, no I’m good. I’m...almost...done.”

She sounds breathless, and now Frank’s mind is really racing, but before he can allow his mind to wander too far, the door is opening to reveal Karen and...

“Is that a /puppy/?” His voice is filled with disbelief, and for a moment he thinks that he may very well chastise her for going and doing something like this.

He has no time for a dog, save for the one who had just passed mere weeks ago, and he knows damn well that she doesn’t either. It’s crazy, this move of hers, and yet he finds himself incredibly grateful. Karen smiles at him as she holds the pup in her arms. The dog’s tail is wagging a mile a minute and its tongue is hanging carelessly from its open mouth. Poor thing is covered head to toe in scars, but he’ll be damned, Frank actually thinks that it looks like it may be smiling at him.

“Yep,” says Karen, popping the “p”. “Found him at a nearby shelter. Kind of reminded me of you with all those battle scars.”

She bends down to set the puppy on the floor, and at first, it doesn’t dare move from her side. Looking at Frank now, she can see why. His large stature is towering over the dog, and given its horrible past, it makes sense that it sticks by her.

“Here,” she says with a smile, now approaching him. “Sit on the floor.”

With a light tug on his arm, she coaxes him to take a seat on the rug that covers the living room. She joins beside him, her legs folding beneath her and her hands waving towards her as she attempts to beckon the dog closer. At first the puppy wants no parts, and it stays in place, watching and waiting for any signs of danger.

But finally, Frank joins in. Slowly, he extends his hand outwards, leaving it hanging in the air like a peace offering. Again, nothing happens, but Frank persist. He doesn’t dare put his hand down, and Karen knows he’ll work all night to gain this pup’s trust if he has to. After much deliberating, the dog finally advances, albeit cautiously.

A sniff of Frank’s hand is given first, and when it is deemed safe to do so, the puppy licks his hand before climbing up into his lap. Even with this new found trust, Frank still takes it slow, careful not to spook him. Karen remains silent, merely watching the two bond beside her. It warms her heart to see Frank so connected to something again. He deserves that and so much more.

“Ajax,” Frank says, breaking the silence.

Karen raises a single brow, mirroring his question. “Ajax?”

“Yeah,” he nods, his gaze remaining on the dog, “like Ajax the Great; the hero of the Trojan War. Little man survived war, and he’s got the scars to prove it.”

A smile forms when Karen hears his reasoning behind the name. It’s a better one then she could ever come up with, and if Frank is happy, then she’s happy, and as far as Karen is concerned, he looks mighty content.


	6. Home for the Holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen brings Frank home to Vermont for Christmas.

Fagan Corners, Vermont is a stark contrast to the city that Karen now calls home. After having agreed to come back home to spend the holidays with her family, Karen traded the gloom of buildings that are, for the most part, the same colors for a world that is filled with bright red barns, homes of varying colors, and white, powdery snow. She hasn't been back home in years, and as much as she's resisted going back, she finds that for once she's happy to be here. Then again, she supposes that has something to do with the man who sits in the passenger's seat beside her.

Frank has barely said two words since leaving the city, and though Karen would love to poke his brain for a bit of insight as to what he's thinking, she knows its best to let him be. He'll talk when he's ready. She can't but wonder, however, if he's nervous. She sure as hell is. It's bad enough that she'll be back home with a family she hasn't exactly gotten along with for quite some time now, but this time she's bringing an unexpected visitor. She hasn't mention to Frank that she'd neglected to inform her parents of his presence. Much like her move to New York City, springing surprises on them is her specialty; they hadn't allowed her to live down the time she wrecked her father's truck when she was in high school, leaving it in a ditch only to walk home and climb into bed as if nothing had ever happened. Though, that memory quickly faded from their minds the moment that her brother was involved in an accident of his own, resulting in the loss of his life. Her parents never were the same since then, and neither was Karen. She can't even recall the last time she spoke to her parents, if ever, since her move from Vermont to New York, but none the less she had been invited to spend a week at their home for Christmas. Had she not been so desperate to get Frank out of the city for what she hoped would keep his mind off the usual "slice 'em 'n' dice 'em" mentality, she may have very well rejected their offer. They hadn't been a family in quite some time, why start now?

But things are different now, she reminds herself. It isn't just her now. She has Frank, and it was actually he who had urged her to reconnect with her parents. Karen had agreed, of course, but only on the stipulation that he join her. So here he sits beside her, a stoic expression plastered onto his face, and his eyes watching the snow-dusted scenery passing them by while Karen drives.

"Almost there," she says, breaking the silence, to which Frank replies with a hum of acknowledgement.

Turning left, the car leaves the well paved road for one made exclusively of gravel. The road is showing decades of use, each piece of gravel having long since been packed down into the dirt. Karen's foot lifts off of the gas to allow the car to coast down along the road, careful to avoid potholes of various sizes as she and Frank drive along the tree-lined drive. Soon, the trees part to reveal acres of fields flanking every side of a quaint white farmhouse which has been decorated to the nines with all things Christmas. Karen has to admit, even to herself, that she's missed the decorations. She gets her love of all things traditional from her mother, though she hasn't had a chance to decorate in quite some time. It's nice to revel in such small delights.

Her look of appreciation doesn't go unnoticed by Frank. Since they've turned off of the main road, he's done nothing but watch her face, looking for any and all clues as to how she feels about coming here. He knows that she wasn't thrilled about coming here, but he'd insisted that she put aside her differences with her parents for a weekend at the very least. You only get one family, he told her, and she knows that if anyone knows that for certain, it's him. But since pulling onto this driveway, he's seen a range of emotions cross her features, ranging from disdain and discomfort to happiness. A weekend certainly won't solve anything, but it's a start, and if she needs him to be by her side while she mends fences, then he's happy to help.

"Nice place," he finally says, his voice hoarse with lack of use. He clears his throat, and Karen nods before looking over at him briefly with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah it is." Her voice has softened considerably, and he recognizes that tone. She's remembering the good times here. That's good. That's exactly what he wants her to feel.

No sooner has the car pulled up in front of the house than the front door swings open to reveal an overly ecstatic woman who, upon first glance, looks exactly like Karen, albeit a bit older. Once upon a time, Frank had caught himself wondering where Karen had picked her looks up from. Now he knows. Karen's mother stands on the edge of the porch steps, her hands wiping against an evergreen colored dish cloth. Like Karen, she is wearing a knitted sweater and a pair of jeans. Guess she got her sense of style from her too, he muses to himself. Frank chuckles, and the sound elicits a look from Karen.

"Oh, I don't even want to hear it," she says with her own laughter. She knows exactly what he's laughing about. Sweater colors and hairstyles aside, she and her mother could be carbon copies of one another right now. How embarrassing.

Throwing the car into park, Karen reaches over to pat a hand against Frank's knee, her smile still present. "You ready," she asks, a single brow lifting to accompany her question. Frank nods in response, his own hand reaching over to pat atop hers twice in reassurance that things will go smoothly.

The pair vacate the car, and it isn't long until Karen's mother has shifted her gaze from her daughter over to Frank. Both brows lift in surprise, and her lips part to further animate her expression. "I didn't know you were bringing company," she says, offering a smile to Frank, one that he politely returns.

"Yeah, well, there's a lot I don't tell you," Karen retorts as both she and Frank approach the porch.

Eager to mediate the conversation and steer it in a more friendly direction before Karen and her mother can begin with their familiar fighting, Frank extends a hand outward toward the woman that remains at the top of the porch steps. "Frank Castle, ma'am. Hope me bein' here isn't a problem. I, uh, didn't have anyone to celebrate the holiday with, and your daughter here's got a soft spot for a charity case," he says with a chuckle.

It's a response that elicits a slap on the arm from Karen, but laughter from her mother. Reaching forward to take his hand, Karen's mother gives it a firm shake as she also introduces herself. "No, no trouble at all. Nice to meet you, Frank. I'm Penelope. You'll meet my husband Paxton once you get inside. I've put him on turkey duty," she says with a smile.

Frank returns the smile with his own, and when Penelope turns her back to both he and Karen in order to instruct them to follow her, Frank looks to his left where Karen stands and allows his smile to broaden. Karen's eyes roll at their own accord, but she smiles none the less. "Who knew you were so good at mediation? If only Nelson and Murdock was still an organization. Would have had to hire you."

They both laugh now, and soon Karen is moving up the steps of the porch to follow her mother into the home with Frank close behind. It's a small start, but as Frank enters the home and shuts the door behind him, he hopes that the good mood will carry over into dinner, and if they're lucky, into the entire weekend. Karen deserves to be happy this holiday, and if Frank can help deliver it to her, then he'd play arbitrator all weekend if that's what it takes.


	7. Let It Snow (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank and Karen engage in a snowball fight.

Heavy, wet flakes settle onto the surrounding scenery, covering everything within miles in a bright, powdery white. The sunlight that reflects off of the surface hurts Karen’s eyes, but that doesn’t slow her down from her mission. She’s been stalking Frank for the better part of ten minutes now, and though there aren’t many places to hide on her parents’ property, somehow Frank has managed to evade her. The red and white mittens that she’s donning are doing a good job of keeping her hands warm all while refraining from transferring heat to the snowball that she currently holds. They’ve been at this all day, Frank and Karen; taking turns hunting down one another in a snowball fight turned tactical mission.

Admittedly, Karen loves this. It’s helped to take her mind off of the heavy shit that she’s left back at the city, and she can tell that it’s done the same for Frank. As Karen rounds the left side of the house, making her way to the back, a large ball of snow slams into her back, exploding into a powdery mess all over her wool coat.

She knew it. She /knew/ that he was around here somewhere, but dammit if he wasn’t the master of camouflage. Whirling around, her own snowball still in her hands, Karen’s eyes narrow when she spots an all black-clad Frank grinning at her about five feet away.

“What,” he asks with a shrug of his shoulders, “you make it easy for me.”

Karen huffs, her breath puffing outward into the air in a visible cloud. Frank is still grinning, but Karen still has the snowball.

Winding her arm back, Karen soon flings it forward to release the ball, watching as it flies through the air towards Frank. She didn’t throw it hard, even though she’s well away he’s taken his fair share of lumps and bumps, she still worries about hurting him. Frank effortlessly slaps away the compacted snow with a hearty laugh. The sound causes her to halt in place. She doesn’t think she’s ever heard him laugh that hard before.

“C’mon, Karen, you got to throw harder than that if you’re gonna retaliate.” He’s already bending down to gather more snow, and quickly, Karen realizes that if she doesn’t move, he’ll pelt her again.

Without so much as a response, Karen darts off away from the house, her feet carrying her as quickly as they can through a field of snow towards the weathered red barn that sits a good one hundred yards from the home. She can still hear Frank laughing even as she continues to put distance between them, the sound of his enjoyment causing her to laugh too, the sound escaping her like a series of excited giggles. She can’t remember the last time she’s had this much fun, and she’s glad she’s made the choice to haul Frank up to Vermont with her.

Once she reaches the barn, Karen is quick to pull open the door before slipping inside. She only has about thirty seconds to pick a good hiding spot before Frank arrives, but there’s only so many spots within the structure. She may not be as adept as Frank when it comes to masking herself, but she’s damn competitive, and he’s well aware. She’ll attack first if it means thwarting his plans; it’s a thought that elicits more giggles, which are abruptly cut off by the hand that slaps over her mouth to silence herself.

She can hear him just beyond the door, her heart is racing a mile a minute with anticipation. Quickly, she begins to scale the ladder that connects the first floor with the loft. Surely he won’t look up here.

But the moment that she reaches the top, both doors to the barn swing open to reveal Frank, snowball in hand.


	8. Let It Snow (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The snowball fight between Karen and Frank takes a turn.

Karen's eyes widen considerably when she spots Frank entering the barn. At first, he doesn't see her, and for a moment, she debates on finishing her climb up the ladder. She's almost to the loft, but if she moves, she knows that he'll spot her. But if she stays, he'll eventually find her and she'll end up with a big ol' lump of snow on her back (again). If she hurries, she just may be able to make it.

Slowly, she moves her right leg up to the next rung, careful to do so in a way that doesn't attract Frank's attention. But try as she might, the barn has other plans for her. The moment that she begins to put weight down onto the next rung, the old wooden ladder begins to creak, sending Frank's gaze upward to spot her up near the loft. The corners of his mouth curl upward into a smirk, and Karen knows that it's game over.

As Frank winds up for the throw, Karen hurries to scurry up the ladder, but in doing so, she manages to lose her footing on the wooden rungs. Her foot slips, sending her leg flailing out into the air as she desperately grabs for the ladder when her balance is thrown off. Unable to retain her balance, Karen finds herself tumbling off of the ladder and downward towards the hard floor below. Before she's able to hit the ground, however, Frank releases his hold on the snowball, the sphere disappearing into a cloud of powder as he steps forward to catch her.

Karen releases an "oomph" when her fall is abruptly stopped, and her hair is tousled around her face messily. Frank sets her down onto her feet, and Karen's hands immediately find themselves on his chest. They're standing entirely too close now, and Karen can swear that she's able to feel the heat radiating off of him even in spite of the layers that he wears. She wonders if he can feel the same from her. The smirk that Frank had donned previously is making yet another appearance.

"What," she asks with a raised brow.

Frank shrugs, and she hadn't realized it until now, but his hands have settled on her waist. "That's certainly a look," he replies, his gaze flickering to her disheveled hair briefly before looking back into her eyes.

She isn't sure if it's the embarrassment or the fact that she's suddenly realizing that she's wearing entirely too many layers, but her cheeks flush profusely.

Frank lifts a hand, the other remaining on her waist, and he gingerly brushes the stray strands of hair away from her face. He's leaning in now, and Karen can feel his body leaning into hers. His hand frames the left side of her face, and as his face nears hers, her eyes flutter closed. They'd been dancing around this for so long now, and Karen feels that it's about time they've reached this point.

But like all other times before, today is not their day. The sound of Penelope's voice can be heard in the near distance. She's calling for Frank and Karen to join them for dinner. They'd spent all day outside fooling around that the two of them had completely lost track of time.

Frank utters a curse when he hears Penelope, his breath fanning across Karen's face, and she exhales a sigh in disappointment.

"Rain check," Frank mutters, reluctantly pulling away from Karen.

She nods in agreement, but slips her hand into his own. "Rain check," she says, their fingers now lacing together.

Vacating the barn, the pair make their way towards the farmhouse, leaving a set of footprints in the snow in their wake. Their rain check would come sooner rather than later, they'd make sure of it.


	9. Dashing Through the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen is a sucker for Christmas lights, and Frank is eager to start a new tradition with her.

It was always tradition when Karen was little that her parents would drive her and her younger brother around Fagan Corners. They would spend hours driving down as many streets as they could both providing commentary on and admiring the rows of homes all decked out with Christmas lights and decorations galore. Kevin was always fond of the multicolored lights. The white lights are so /boring/, he’d say, to which Karen would vehemently disagree. She was like her mother, she still is, they both love the traditional white lights.

It was also tradition for the Page family to stop at the local diner for some hot cocoa and a comforting meal (which, for Karen, always meant a stack of fluffy pancakes to accompany an already sweet drink). It’s a tradition that she hasn’t held up since she was at least fifteen.

That is, until now.

“You know I, uh, used to do this with the kids,” Frank says, looking over at Karen from the driver’s seat.

He’s always ashamed to bring them up, but more so, he’s ashamed to bring Maria up. So he doesn’t, but it goes unsaid that they both know he means to include her too. Frank misses his kids. It’s not /them/ that he hates talking about, but it’s the unmentioned but always there memory of Maria that makes him ashamed. He loved her. He still does. Karen knows that, and though she never makes him feel bad about it, he feels as if she doesn’t deserve that baggage. But she takes it on with strength and grace. He loves her for it.

Karen nods, her eyes fixated on the lights of the home that sits just outside of her window. They’ve gone to the suburbs tonight to get a true sense of nostalgia. The city just won’t do for this sort of thing. Prying her gaze away from the scenery, she turns and offers a reassuring smile to him. She hates that the holidays make his pain worse. Reaching out for him, she takes his hand in hers and gives him a squeeze of silent support.

“My parents used to do the same with me. Then again, now that I think about it, I think every kid in America goes through this experience.”

She’s smiling again, and it’s easily to identify that she’s making light of a heavy situation. He can’t be mad. He knows that at some point he’ll have to live in the present rather than in the past, but she knows how difficult it is for him to do so, so she remains patient.

Frank is smiling now and Karen thinks that, perhaps for the first time tonight, the smile has reached his eyes.

“So, Miss Traditionalist,” he says, taking his turn to jab her a bit all in the name of good fun, “what say you about those lights there?”

Karen returns her gaze to the home beside the van that they currently sit in, her lips pursing in thought before she speaks. “Hate it,” she says matter-of-factly.

Frank can’t help himself as he bursts into hearty laughter. “Jesus Christ,” he mutters between laughs. “Why not?”

He can see her shoulders shake with her own laughter, but she has yet to look at him. Finally, after her silent assessment, she turns to look over at him, her hand lifting to tapping a nail against the window.

“It’s too busy.” She shrugs nonchalantly, and Frank says nothing as he listens to her. “There’s white lights, multicolored lights, and not to mention there’s the blow ups. It’s just too much. Simple is better. Always.”

Frank nods slowly when she finishes, but still he says nothing. She wonders what he’s thinking. “Okay,” he finally says, still nodding.

“Okay?” Karen’s brows furrow when he doesn’t counter her argument. Unlike Karen, Frank doesn’t care how someone decorated as long as they’re happy with it. He never was as structured as Karen.

“Okay,” he replies.

They’ve been at this all night, but it hasn’t hit Karen until now that Frank doesn’t care whether or not a house is up to par with her standards. He just wants to be here with her. He’ll listen to what she has to say if it means that they keep this up for the foreseeable future. He may not carry this tradition on with his children or Maria anymore, but he’s happy to continue it with Karen by his side.

“You read for the next one,” he asks, putting the van into drive.

“You bet,” she replies as she settles back into her seat, eyes already looking for the next set of lights.

Tonight there are no troubles, no baggage, and no hurt. Tonight they’re both content with critiquing lights and listening to what the other has to say. Tonight is perfect. Neither wants it to end.


	10. No Exception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen surprises Frank at a Christmas party.

Frank hates Christmas. It’s a reminder of the life that he’s lost, and it fills him with a renewed sense of anger and hate. Karen had offered to spend more time with him, but he’d quickly declined. He didn’t want her charity, and he’d told her as much. Frank knows that Karen’s care for his well being is genuine, and though he appreciates her concern, he’s also aware that she’s offering just so she can make sure that he isn’t getting himself into more trouble then he’s already in. If there is one saving grace for Frank’s disdain and anger this holiday season, it’s Curtis and his daily meetings.

Unlike the other meetings, however, this one has been dubbed the holiday meeting. It’s meant to be more of a get together and eat until you burst kind of meeting more so than the usual talk about your feelings stuff, and normally that’d be fine with Frank, but he knows some of the guys will be bringin’ their families. Frank has tried getting out of coming, but like always, Curtis has roped him in.

-

“Look, Frank, I know you don’t have anyone this holiday season, but runnin’ ain’t gonna help you, man.”

Curtis never looked at Frank with pity, and that was one thing on a list of many that Frank admired about the man. He knew he felt sorry for him, but he appreciated that he didn’t give him the same old spiel that everyone else gave. Curtis knew there was no point, and he knew that pity never solved problems.

-

So here Frank stands, awkwardly placed towards the back of the room near the cookie table. Those who brought families also brought food, and some of those without families used cooking as a coping mechanism, so they brought food too. Frank never was one to cook well. His skills were better suited elsewhere.

Frank’s eyes scan the growing crowd of attendees. At the front of the room, Curtis is telling a story to one of the vets and his family. Whatever the story is, it makes the group laugh. Frank smiles at that, but the smile soon fades. He wishes like hell that Maria and the kids were here. Then again, if they were, he probably wouldn’t even be here. They’d probably be at some farm just outside of the city, cutting down a tree to put in their living room for Christmas.

He lifts the hand that holds a sugar cookie up towards his mouth, but as he’s about to take a bite, a familiar voice interrupts him and pulls him from his train of thought.

“I wouldn’t fill up on cookies just yet.”

Frank halts his movement and turns his head to find Karen at the threshold of the door, crock pot in hand. The look of surprise on his face must have been amusing, because Karen’s laughing now as she enters the room to approach him.

“Buffalo chicken dip,” she says glancing down to the crock pot before looking back up to him. “It’s not much, but it’s a hell of lot better than store bought cookies.”

“How did you...” Frank is about to ask how she’s found him, but shrug nonchalantly as she moves away from him to make room on the table for her crock pot.

“Wasn’t hard. I know you come here often, and a little birdie told me there’d be food today.” Once he crock pot has a place at the table, Karen pulls a box of crackers from her purse and places it beside the warmer. “Besides, thought you could use some company today.”

Stepping closer to him now, she reaches out to place a hand on his arm, and he reaches up with a hand to place it atop her own. The pair smile fondly at one another, and Karen gives his arm a gentle squeeze. It doesn’t need to be said, but Frank is grateful for her. He never expects her to go out of her way for him, but she always does. He supposes that he does the same for her, just in a different way.

From across the room, Curtis is smiling at Frank and Karen. He may not know the woman that Frank so frequently mentions when it’s just them talking after the meetings, but he’s heard enough to know that she wouldn’t let Frank down, today being no exception.


	11. Snow Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen attempts to bake cookies for Christmas, but like always, Frank is eager to interrupt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a bit of light smut.

If there was one thing Frank had never been very good at, it was being domestic. Sure, he’d done a good job of helping to raise the kids whenever he was home from his tours, but the run of the mill go to the grocery store and pick up some milk for the Mrs. was his one and only weak point. Maria had always teased him about how forgetful he was, and that his mind was always miles away. That teasing, however, would (from time to time) escalate into something less pleasant. Towards the end of her life, Maria grew tired of the distance that Frank had put between her and the kids. She had begged him to get help, help that she had hoped would bring him back to them. Though she’d urged him to go, Frank never did get the opportunity to right himself. Maria and the kids were taken far too soon, and Frank never did get around to being the domestic man that Maria had wanted him to be.

Though he still isn’t all that great, these days things are a bit different for him. He may not have a family in the traditional sense, but Karen had quickly become the one and only person he could trust and count on in this shitty world they live in. Karen had all but forced him to move in with her, her reason being that she’d be safer with him around and in return he’d have all the home cooked meals his heart could ever desire. She’d even gone as far as buying him a pit bull puppy. He might have protested before, but if wasn’t Karen that got him to change his mind, it sure as hell was the dog that did him in.

-

Swinging open the door to the apartment, Frank steps inside, covered from head to toe in snow. Immediately, the puppy (who Karen has lovingly named Brute - though Frank insists on something less harsh) is at his feet, sniffing and licking at the snow that sits atop his boots. Almost as quickly as the dog rushes in, Karen is greeting Frank, though she’s soon changing gears in how she speaks to him.

“You better not drag that snow in here,” she says, reaching out to take the milk from his hands. “You’ll get water everywhere.”

Frank watches as she turns away from him, a pair of pajamas on and Christmas apron tied around her waist. Her hair is swooped up into a ponytail, and as much as he likes it when she wears her hair down, he can’t help but like this more; it’s something he can hold on to. Quickly shaking away the thought, Frank grumbles to himself while sliding out of his jacket, a pile of snow falling to the floor in the process. His boots are next to follow, and moving away from the puppy who’s still taking an interest in the quickly melting snow, Frank approaches Karen.

Moving up behind her, he places his hands on her waist and pulls her back flush against his chest, a move that elicits a gasp in surprise from Karen. Frank leans down and begins to Pepper a trail of kisses along Karen’s neck just as she lulls her head to the side in order to give him better access.

“What are you making,” he asks, his voice muffled against her skin.

Karen exhales a soft sigh, and fuck, if that doesn’t make Frank want to take her right then and there. “Nothing if you keep this up.”

They’ve been down this road more times than either one of them can count. Frank knows that a good few neck kisses is all that it takes to unravel an otherwise put together Karen. Reaching up, she takes hold of his right hand and begins to guide it away from her hips. Using her free hand to push her apron out of the way, she urges his hand past the waistband of her pajama bottoms and only then does she release her hold on him.

He’s taken the hint quite well. His hand continues the downward trek, fingers pushing past already slick folds, and when she feels his hand right where she wants it, Karen bucks her hips against him. She moans softly as he slips two fingers into her, curling them as his palm presses firmly against her clit.

Karen whimpers, and her hips begin a steady rhythm, moving in time with the fingers that are buried deep within her. Frank slides his other hand over until it reaches her stomach, pressing her back up against him so that he can steady her as she moves.

Her head falls back against his shoulder now, and he can tell by the way in which her jaw falls slack that she’s reaching the point of no return. Removing his palm from her, but ensuring that his fingers remain in her, Frank rubs quick, tiny circles against her clit with his thumb. The motion, combined with the feeling of his fingers within her is all that Karen needs to let go. Her walls tighten considerably around his fingers, and her body shudders as her orgasm rips through her.

“Frank,” she moans, his movements slowing while he helps her to ride out her climax.

When he’s certain that she’s come down, Frank removes his hand from her and places a kiss to her temple. “I’m going to go get changed,” he says, the bottoms of his jeans still wet from the snow.

“Clean up that snowy mess while you’re at it,” Karen quips with a smirk, returning her attention back to her original task.

She has yet to get through making a batch of cookies without Frank interrupting her, but neither she nor Frank would have it any other way.


	12. Snowed In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snow piles up on the city, leaving Frank and Karen stuck inside.

The soft glow of multicolored lights reflects onto Karen’s face. She’s sleeping now, but she’d insisted that Frank leave the Christmas lights on. They’d worked together to put them up, carefully framing the window in her bedroom. She had insisted on white, but he’d talked her into trying something new, and eventually, she relented. After they were hung and in place, Karen decided that they didn’t look so awful after all.

Frank’s been watching her sleep for a while now; the pair had initially fallen asleep atop Karen’s grey comforter, though when Frank had initially awoken, he helped to move her beneath the covers to get warm. At some point in the night, snow had begun to fall, and though Frank had never considered himself much of a “stop and smell the roses” kind of guy, he can see now, in the multicolored haze that settles onto Karen’s peaceful features, why someone would take the time out to enjoy the here and now. He certainly is.

He trails a hand gingerly down along Karen’s face, his movements halting only when she begins to stir beneath his touch. Before he knows it, Karen’s eyelids flutter open to reveal those oceanic colored irises that he finds himself lost in more often than not. She smiles up at him lazily, her eyes closing briefly as she lifts a hand from out under the covers to stretch.

“What time is it,” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Five thirty.” Frank reaches out to brush away the tousled hair from her face, and when he does so, Karen catches his hand with her own. She turns her face just enough to kiss his palm before releasing her hold on him.

The two had been up just about all night talking about everything from Karen’s tendency to dig her nose where it didn’t belong and how Frank can’t ever just stay out of her business to what kinds of cookies they each liked. Karen had only fallen asleep by 4, and Frank had been close behind, though he never does sleep for long.

“Aren’t you cold,” she asks, already beginning to shove down a portion of the comforter so that he could join her.

Frank shrugs. He’s used to being outside in all sorts of weather. Neither the heat nor the cold bothers him. He can’t recall a time when it ever has. But he knows better than to fight with a stubborn Karen Page, and soon, he moves to slip beneath the surface of the covers.

Almost immediately, Karen moves closer, her warm body pressing up against his own. Frank hooks an arm around her waist and anchors her body to his own, as if to risk letting go is to risk losing her. Karen settles in, her eyes closing once more while Frank watches the snow continue to fall just beyond he decorated window, the lights still illuminating the room with their multitude of colors. If this is what being snowed in is like, then Frank would be damned if he’d prefer to be anywhere but here.


	13. Winter Wonderland (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank and Karen go for a walk through a sleepy NYC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's fic is a short one, unfortunately. December is keeping me busy, and it made it difficult to keep up today. Tomorrow will be a better day and a better fic!

Snow flutters downward from the sky to cover up the footprints that are freshly planted along the sidewalk as Frank and Karen walk arm in arm alongside one another. Tonight, the pair are far away from the familiar area of Hell's Kitchen in an area that Karen has been to plenty of times before, but has never stopped to truly enjoy the beauty of her surroundings until tonight. Frank had requested that they go to Brooklyn for a bit of sight seeing. Given his tendency to shy away from the public, or venturing out at all for that matter, Karen was eager to take him up on that request.

The city had been warned that they would be in for a hell of a snowfall tonight, and it was a warning that the majority of the residents had heeded. Karen thinks it's a beautiful thing, walking down a street with rows of homes flanking both of their sides, the street devoid of any other signs of life outdoors, and a silence that is truly deafening. She loves it when it snows like this; it's as if the snow cuts out all sound, leaving her to get lost her thoughts and to only revel in the sights of the things around her. Tonight those sights are the homes and businesses that have been decorated to the nines, light strands of all colors illuminating and reflecting off of the snow that covers both roofs and streets alike.

Frank doesn't say anything. He enjoys the way in which Karen marvels at the snowy scenery and the decorations that have been put out by the borough's residents. It was a tiny gesture, bringing her here, but it was one that he knew would make her happy. That is his ultimate goal, after all.

"It's so quiet," she muses, mostly to herself. Her voices is barely above a whisper, but given the lack of other noises that normally fill the streets of the city, Frank can hear her just fine. He hums in response and nods his head once, pulling her in closer before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. In turn, Karen slips an arm around his back and holds onto him while they walk. "It's kind of nice."

"Not every day you hear the sound of silence in a place like this," he says, following her statement. It's calm, and oddly enough, Frank finds that the quietness of the snow and coziness of the decorations seems almost therapeutic in a way. He makes a mental note to get out and do this sort of thing with Karen more often.

It's Karen's turn to nod now, and as they near the end of the street, they pause beneath the glow of a street lamp, the pair looking down both ends of the adjacent street in order to decide where to go.

"There," says Karen, her free hand lifting to point a finger to her right.

Frank doesn't even need to look to know what Karen wants. This was also part of his plan in bringing her here. Down the street there is a bar, one designed to last only from Black Friday until Christmas Eve; a pop up bar that is both Christmas and Hanukkah themed, serving alcoholic drinks with names that are a play on various holiday classics. If he's remembering right, there's even one called a "Yippie Ki Yay, Mother Fucker". That one sounded right up his alley. If he had to take a guess, he'd put his money on the eggnog drink for Karen.

Frank may choose not to go out much, given how his life stands currently, but he figures he can make an exception for Karen. Tonight, he will risk the drunkards and those who gathering for the novelty of being in a place that looks like someone threw up Christmas simply for her, because this is what makes her happy, and what makes her happy makes him happy too.


	14. Winter Wonderland (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Frank return home from the bar.

Karen had never been the type to get drunk off her ass. In fact, more often than not, she’d played the role of maternal designated driver to both Foggy and Matt. But tonight had been vastly different. Unlike Karen, Frank had had more than his fair share of drunk nights (and sometimes days), so tonight he’d insisted that Karen enjoy herself while he played the role of DD. She was reluctant to accept the offer at first. Old habits do die hard, after all. But after a little coaxing (and not to mention the overly festive feeling bar they were in), Karen gave in.

It took her longer than Frank had anticipated, but after her fifth eggnog (which he noted hadn’t been spiked with very much alcohol), and three other holiday themed drinks, the buzz had finally hit Karen.

Frank had only had one drink, but it had been some time since he’d downed alcohol, and it had loosened him up enough to fall into effortless and continual conversation with Karen that carried well on into the night. He’d learned more about Karen then he ever thought he’d care to know, like that her favorite holiday film is A Christmas Story, and that she /never/ misses the marathon when it comes on during Christmas. She told him about the one Christmas where she snuck down from her bedroom and ate all of Santa’s cookies and then cried because she thought he’d take all her presents away for being so naughty. She tells him now about how much she misses her brother, and how much it hurts her to go through Christmas without him, although she’s sure that even if he was still alive he’d probably celebrate it in California because that’s where he always wanted to live.

It’s now that Frank cuts her access to the alcohol off, and paying their hefty tab, he helps her off of the stool and out of the bar. She isn’t saying anything about Kevin now, and in fact, she’s gone quiet. He knows that she’s thinking of her brother, but is embarrassed that she blabbed so much about him.

Rather than take a cab back to her apartment, Frank decides it better (not to mention quicker) to take the subway back. It isn’t until they arrive at the subway station that Karen speaks.

“I’m sorry,” she says, her body leaning heavily against his. Her words bear a slight slur, but Frank knows that she’s cognizant of her surroundings. Not that she needs to be. That’s why she’s got him.

Frank hushes her softly and wraps both arms around her when she leans into him, the two of them alone in the station while they await the next train. She’s getting tired now, and his shushing isn’t helping her fight to stay awake. Karen yawns, her eyes fluttering shut, but the peace doesn’t last long.

The squeal of the train’s breaks jolt her from her near slumber, and reluctantly stepping away from Frank, she boards the train with Frank close behind.

The train ride is uneventful and quicker than she’d anticipated, but Karen is able to catch at least a few minutes of sleep here and there. She uses his shoulder as a pillow, which he doesn’t mind. He’s thankful that they’re able to travel alone for the entirety of the ride.

Once they reach the appropriate stop, it’s only another two blocks on foot until they reach Karen’s apartment, and not a moment too soon. The moment that they reach the building that houses her apartment, the heavens seem to open up, dumping snow onto the city and onto them. By the time Frank punches in the correct code to unlock the building’s front door, a dusting of snow has accumulated atop the crown of their heads.

Once inside, the pair make the trek up three flights of stairs to the apartment, leaving a snowy trail behind them. With the snow now gone from their bodies, and the warmth of the heated building now chasing away the cold from their bones, Frank uses the key that Karen had given him to unlock the door to her apartment.

Luckily, she’d left a table lamp on, the light helping them to see as the maneuver through the tiny apartment, kicking off shoes and clothing along the way.

Upon reaching the bed, a tired Karen climbs to Frank, her head lulling forward onto his shoulder as he holds her with one arm and uses his free hand to pull back the covers. She makes no objection when he lowers her down onto the bed before covering her up with the duvet. When he steps away, however, she reaches out to grasp his hand with her own. He glances back at her from over his shoulder when he halts his movement. Karen mutters incoherently, a side effect of her tiredness and alcohol combined. Frank gives her hand a squeeze and reassures her that he’ll be joining in her just a moment. She releases her hold on him, allowing him to move around the bed frame to the empty side of the bed.

By the time that frank joins Karen in bed, she’s already fast asleep. As he lies beside her, he wonders if she’s dreaming, and if so, what it is she dreams about. Sleep takes longer to find him, not that it comes as any sort of surprise to him. It’s been that way for a long time now, though it’s easier to sleep with Karen at his side.


	15. The Christmas Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen takes Frank to Union Square's Holiday Market.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a Scrooge!"

Karen is smiling over the lip of her warm mug that's filled nearly to the brim with mulled wine, her eyes sparkling with a teasing sense of mischief. Frank finds it hard to remain a grump when she's behaving like this. He cracks a smile, and soon, the pair are laughing, their breaths expelling out into the night air in puffs of cloud-like vapor.

"I'm not being a Scrooge," he says, his hands now buried deep within his jean pockets, eyes looking off to the side before flickering his gaze back to her.

Karen laughs again, and with a shake of her head, she takes a sip of her wine before replying. "That's such bullshit, Frank."

She's right, at least where it counts. He'd fought her hard on coming to Union Square. It's not that he hates crowds, and he certainly doesn't despise the holidays, but a large crowd makes for his need to be vigilant to go into overdrive. There's too much happening, and too many people means both too many potential targets and too many to save in the event that something big were to go down. It makes him feel vulnerable and that's what he hates. But he doesn't let Karen know. Not now. He would save that for when they get back to her apartment. Now that she's roped him into coming here, he wants her to have a good time; as much as he fights her on things like this, he knows that she rarely goes out and deserves to do so.

"Alright, alright. Fine. So..." He trails off, a smirk taking hold as his gaze once again moves away from her, this time to peer over her shoulder at the seemingly never ending row of stalls set up within the square. It's dark, but Union Square is lit up like it's daytime. Each stall not only has lights within their designated area, but each one dons a rope of lights that outline the entirety of the booths' frames. He's thankful that Karen isn't much of a shopper. She prefers to just take in the sights and sounds, and if she's lucky, she may find one or two things that catch her eye. If /he's/ lucky, then they won't be here long, and he'll be back at her place with the privacy that he desires. "Where to," he finally asks, his attention falling back onto her once more.

Karen takes a moment to sip more wine, the heat of the spiced liquid a welcomed contrast to the bitter cold of the outdoors. Humming to herself briefly, she spins around to take a look at the stalls, assessing the nearest ones to find one that catches her eye. After a moment, her shoulders shrug carelessly. "Let's just walk."

Gripping the mug in one hand, Karen reaches back to pull Frank up to her, her arm soon hooking around his to keep him close. It's not as if he'd run away. He's done doing that where she's concerned. She simply doesn't want to lose him in the crowd.

Weaving their way through the crowd, Karen at the helm, the pair take in the various vendors and their items that flank them on both sides. Some are selling hand made glass ornaments while others are selling handmade and hand painted nutcrackers and wooden Santa Clauses. Other vendors are selling foods from various European regions, the smell of these stalls filling the night air with the most incredible scents. If Karen hadn't been drinking all of this wine, she would have found herself to be ravenous. Frank, on the other hand, is practically drooling at the sight of apple strudel.

One quick stop later, and Frank has the piece of pastry that he'd had his eyes set on only moments prior, and it's all thanks to Karen (though it's not as if he'd protested when she offered to purchase him a piece). Walking arm in arm once again, Karen sipping the last of her wine and Frank munching away on his warm strudel, she can already sense his tense mood slipping away into something much more docile. He's happy to be here with her (and the strudel, she notes), and he's content with the fact that he now believes this area to be safe (for now).

As the night wears on, their steps slow, and their gaze lingers a little longer on each stall they pass. Eventually, Karen buys herself a glass ornament, eventually followed by more wine and another ornament. Like Frank had anticipated, Karen hadn't gone crazy where shopping is concerned. With a few small bags in hand, the two vacate the market and make their way to the nearest subway station, but not before Frank managed to get two more pieces of that apple strudel. Karen makes a mental note to learn how to make that for him in the future. He makes a mental note to go out later in the week to get her more ornaments, and the nutcracker she'd had her eye on earlier in the evening.


	16. Oh, Christmas Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank and Karen pick out a Christmas tree.

Ever since Karen had left home for the city, she'd always found herself missing one holiday tradition in particular: the cutting of the annual Christmas tree. Every year, her parents would plant and grow a tree on their farm that would be specifically used for that year's Christmas within their home. Since moving to the city, Karen found herself unable to carry on the tradition. Given the fact that she lacked a car and the space within her apartment for a tree, she'd allowed the tradition to fall by the wayside, and instead, she'd invested in a tiny, synthetic tree that sits comfortably on the end table beside her couch. It served its purpose, bringing a little more Christmas cheer to her place, but still she found herself missing a real tree with normal sized ornaments, not the miniature ones she currently used on the small tree. But all that changed this year when she finally accepted an invite to visit her parents' home for the holiday.

Karen had, of course, talked Frank into tagging along with her. She wouldn't dare leave him alone on a holiday that she knew was far too difficult for him to sit through alone, and truth be told, she needed him to help her get through this trip. Though she normally had a civil relationship with her parents, more often than not, she found herself butting heads with them over the most trivial of topics. Maybe Frank's presence would help to cease this behavior for everyone's sake. He was good at mediating, oddly enough.

-

"If I die, this one's one you."

Karen may have done this plenty of times before with her parents, but Frank is new to the current experience. He's hacking away at the base of the tree, and Karen is standing back, mitten-covered hand placed strategically over her mouth as she laughs in response to his remark. She's seen him struggle plenty of times, but never like this.

"Don't be so dramatic," she replies between laughs.

She can hear his heavy breathing, his breath visible with the clouded puffs that rise up into the air from beneath the tree. Soon, a crack can be heard, and her hands are now clasped together as the familiar sense of excitement fills her.

"It's going to come down," she calls out. It's an obvious fact, but one she's felt the need to verbalize every year that she's been a part of this activity.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that." Frank is climbing out from underneath of the tree now, a dusting of snow covering the entirety of his coat.

He tosses the saw onto the nearby sled that Karen's father had made for this particular purpose. With one solid push, Frank is able to topple the tree over onto the ground, sending a plume of powdery snow up into the air. She watches as Frank makes his way over to the tree. He bends down to grab the freshly cut trunk before looking up to where Karen stands.

"Mind giving me hand?"

Karen nods and hurries over to the opposite end of the tree and helps Frank lift the tree up off of the ground to move it to the sled. The tree is a sizable six foot tree, but it's thin enough that Frank figures he could have gotten it onto the sled on his own, but he knows how much Karen loves to partake in any way possible when it comes to cutting down the tree and getting it back to the house.

With the tree on the sled, Frank grabs one half of the rope that is tethered to the sled and allows for Karen to grab the other half. Frank glances over to Karen who's already looking at him with a broad smile. She may love the cutting of the tree, but he knows her favorite part is coming up next: decorating. Giving her a nod, Frank begins to pull on the rope, and Karen does the same. As they walk alongside one another, the sled follows behind, and slowly, but steadily, they begin to pull the tree back to the house to begin the next round of festive activities.


	17. A Carolling We Will Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen makes an appearance at Frank's apartment to bring him some Christmas cheer.

For those like Karen, there is no lonelier time of the year than Christmas. Foggy had planned to work his way through the holiday season, and Karen couldn't even bring herself to confront Matt after their last interaction. She, herself, had zero plans for the holidays even in spite of her parents' offer to come down and see her, or if she were so inclined, she was invited to her childhood home. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't bear to see her parents, not after the death of her brother. There is, however, another lonely soul in the city that she knew would also have zero plans for Christmas. Like her, Frank's loneliness stems from a tragedy. Unlike her, his tragedy cost him the entirety of his family. She wouldn't allow him to face Christmas alone, regardless on how many times he had objected to her offers.

She knew that Frank could be headstrong, but where he was stubborn, she was even more so. There was no way in hell she'd leave him to be on his own, but first, she had one stop to make.

Swinging open the door to the French bakery that sits at the end of her block, Karen steps out of the cold and into the warmth of the building. Immediately, she is hit by the pleasant smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and a range of other spices. If Christmas had a smell, this bakery would be it. She isn't entirely sure what Frank would be interested in, and as much as she'd love to get one of everything, she doesn't think that she could single-handedly carry it all to his place. Instead, she goes with her usual Christmas goods: two individual chocolate orange tarts and one chocolate yule log.

With treats in hand, Karen vacates the bakery in order to make the short trek to the apartment that Frank had recently rented. He'd made it a point to get a place close to her, though not too close, of course. Like everything else in his life, Frank liked to keep his distance, even when Karen wished he didn't.

Her plan is to surprise him, and by some miracle, she manages to catch one of the building's tenants leaving for the morning. Able to get in without having to buzz his apartment, Karen slips inside, her heels clicking loudly off of the stairs as she makes her way up the three flights of stairs that it'll take her to get to his floor. Once there, she strides down the empty hall until she reaches his door: apartment number 305. Karen lifts a hand to knock on the wooden door, simultaneously clearing her throat before she lowers her hand again, now waiting for Frank to answer.

She knows that he'll check the peephole before answering. He always does. He can never be too safe, after all. Stepping back just enough so that he can see her better, she listens as eventually the multitude of locks are undone just before the door swings open to reveal Frank. He stands just inside of his apartment, feet bare and wearing nothing but a pair of black and grey checkered pajama bottoms accompanied by a black thermal long sleeved shirt. As grim as it may seem, Karen always did think that black suited him well.

"Karen." His brows crease to echo the confusion in his voice when her name comes out in the form of a question. He doesn't need to say anything else, just vocalizing her name in that way says enough. He wants to know what she's doing at his doorstep.

Karen smiles, and as nervous as she is, she inhales a deep breath before singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". Even in spite of her nerves, her singing is surprisingly good, though it's not as if Frank should have ever doubted that fact, the woman is damn near perfect in his eyes. His confusion shifts into amusement, and while Karen sings, his arms fold across his chest and he leans against the door frame. Only when her song ceases does he speak.

"You came all the way over here to sing to me, Page?" He smiles, and for the first time in a long while, the smile reaches his eyes.

"And I brought breakfast," she replies, holding up her bag of goodies.

Frank steps aside and waves a hand further into his apartment. "Well then by all means, don't let me stop you from delivering."

Offering Frank a smile, Karen obliges. Stepping forward, she stops only when she's directly beside him. Turning to face him, she reaches up to pat his chest as she speaks. "Merry Christmas, Frank."

He reaches up to place his hand over her own, giving it a brief squeeze before releasing it. "Merry Christmas, Karen."


	18. The Roast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen cooks Christmas dinner.

Karen had never been much of a cook. Though she loves nothing more than sitting in front of the television, watching the Food Network Channel and criticizing the cooks on various shows and their techniques (which she knows nothing about), she much prefers takeout to her own burnt cooking. But with Christmas rolling around, and her usual plan to visit her parents foiled by the two plus feet of snow the city has managed to gather thanks to a freak storm, essentially shutting down all ways to get in and out of the city, Karen has no choice but to make the best of it.

She’d invited Frank over for Christmas dinner, and when he’d accepted, Karen found herself scrambling to use what little days leading up to the holiday were left to cram in all the cooking knowledge she could gather. The sides were easy enough. A little frozen corn never hurt anyone, not to mention she could get away with some other store bought goodness. But it would be the meat that would give her the most difficulty, or so she felt.

Having bought a roast large enough for both her and Frank’s appetites, she dressed it in a marinade of herbs, spices, and oil, and set it in the oven for what she had hoped to be the appropriate length of time to cook. With the apartment decorated from ceiling to floor in Christmas decorations, and her home smelling like the most divine roast she could ever imagine, all that there was left to do was wait for Frank to arrive.

Approximately thirty minutes later, and right on time as he so often is, a knock sounds on the door to signal Frank’s arrival. Karen, normally so calm and collected, finds herself increasingly nervous. She’d done everything that she could to ensure that Frank would have a nice Christmas. She would be mortified if her meal didn’t turn out just right.

Swinging open the door, she greets an already smiling Frank who’s gotten surprisingly dressed up for the occasion.

“I didn’t know you had formal clothes,” Says Karen, stepping aside to allow Frank entry into her home. “Thought your thing was tactical now.”

Her comment earns a chuckle of amusement from Frank, and when he moves past her to step into her apartment, he returns a jab of his own. “Didn’t know you could decorate. Or cook, for that matter.”

Every time he’d been inside of her home, she’d had bare walls. In fact, the only decorating she’d ever done was put out a few small photo frame of her with Nelson and Murdock from various nights out. She’d since added photos of her and Frank to her growing collection.

“Yeah, well, don’t say that just yet. We could end up at the Chinese place down the street.” Shutting the door behind him, Karen steps up next to him as he assesses the decor. “You like?”

Frank shrugs off his suit jacket, his head nodding before his gaze meets hers. “It’ll do.”

Frank never had been much for compliments, and luckily for him, Karen never went fishing for them. They have their jabs and took whatever the other lobbed their way. It’s a unique form of affection, but one both seemed to cherish.

Karen reaches up to pat a hand on his shoulder before moving around him to make her way to the kitchen.

“Make yourself at home,” she says, “I’ll grab you a beer. Dinner should be ready in ten.”

Doing as instructed, Frank tosses his jacket onto to the couch before removing his shoes, taking the beer from Karen when she offers it to him.

Before either of them know it, the ten minutes is up, and the moment of truth arrives. The roast, by all outward appearances, looks good enough to eat when Karen pulls it from the oven. The smell alone makes Frank’s mouth water. Taking a seat at the table, their meal between them, they take turns carving pieces of meat for themselves and digging side dishes out of bowls.

Frank is impressed, and Karen is pleased with herself. Her meal has turned out perfectly, just as she had hoped, and they’ve both managed to avoid a Christmas disaster. Karen vows to do this more often, and Frank promises to be around for whatever she’s cooking, provided she doesn’t experiment on any weird dishes. This makes her laugh, and he does the same. They spend the rest of the night like this: picking at leftovers and throwing in the occasional jab at one another before expelling another round of laughter. It’s the perfect Christmas evening.


	19. A Snap in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen adds to her collection of memories by roping Frank into a Christmas picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter was inspired by Emeli_Thorne. Your most recent comment got me thinking about just what those pictures were in the previous chapter, so I thought I’d do a chapter on at least one of the photos. I’ll have a future chapter coming in the next few days detailing a second photo.

“It’s not even Christmas yet. Hey! Get out of here!” Hearty laughter erupts from deep within Frank’s chest while he continually ducks and dodges Karen’s attempts to plop the Santa hat onto the top of his head.

“Oh, come on,” she says, reaching up for the umpteenth time to try and place the hat, “it’s only a few weeks away. Where’s your Christmas spirit?”

She’d been torturing him all week with threats of doing all sorts of Christmas related things to him in the coming weeks, and if this is just the start then he’s in for a long December.

Releasing a louder than necessary huff of air, Frank keeps still to allow Karen to plop the hat on top of his head. Almost immediately the laughter begins again, only this time it’s coming from her.

Frank has since grown back his beard, and though Karen’s given him nothing but shit for it, she can’t help but find it hilarious now that he has the hat on.

“You look like a younger, hotter Santa,” she says, the laughter finally subsiding as she grins.

Unlike Frank, Karen isn’t fighting the Christmas spirit. Donning the ugliest Christmas sweater that she could find, she also wears a necklace made of multicolored blinking Christmas lights. She looks absolutely ridiculous, and oddly enough, Frank thinks that it suits her.

Retrieving the camera from the coffee table, Karen waves it about as she speaks. “C’mon, lets commemorate this moment.”

Frank is going to regret this, he can feel it now. She’s goin to point it out to him every chance she gets once she framed this photo, and yet he relents and allows her to take one anyway. Stepping back, stopping only when her back meets his chest, Karen lifts the camera to eye level and instructs Frank to smile.

“Say cheese!”

“I look horrendous,” he replies, his comment sending Karen into a fit of laughter just as she presses the button to take the phone.

Karen flips the camera around to check the photo that has popped up onto the screen on the back. The camera manages to capture not only her laughter, but Frank’s amusement as well. Forever immortalized in the photo is Frank staring down at Karen with an amused expression, the Santa hat sitting perfectly atop her head. Karen’s eyes are closed, the ends creased with laugh lines as she is frozen in a moment of suspended enjoyment, her mouth open in a silent shriek of laughter.

It’s a perfect photo, one that she will cherish forever, and when she prints a copy, she will place it on her bookshelf beside other photos of her with Foggy and Matt. This will be the start of many more photos with Frank, she resolves.


	20. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Frank build a snowman.

“You’re asking me to do what now?”

Frank stands in front of Karen with a look of utter disbelief on his face. They’ve been standing outside in front of the building that houses Karen’s apartment for the past few minutes, and yet she’s still failed to convince him of her plan.

“Oh, come on, it’s not like I ask very much of you, just help me!”

As Karen pipes up now, she diverts her attention from Frank to the snow that covers both the sidewalk and the grassy median that separates the sidewalk from the street. She begins by making a small ball of snow in her hand, and when she’s satisfied with the shape, she drops it into the snow and starts to roll it around to increase its size.

Frank knows that she’s right, she never asks much, if anything, from him. But he’s a grown man in the middle of New York City and of all the things she could be asking him for, it’s /this/. The Punisher making a /snowman/, he can see the headlines now.

He’s pulled from his thoughts when Karen clears her throat to get his attention. His gaze immediately finds her, and she lifts a single brow as if to silently ask if he’s going to help her or not. As much as this goes against every fiber in his body, for her, he helps. The ball that she’s rolled is considerably bigger now, and it’s used much of the snow in their immediate vicinity. They’ll need to gather the remainder of the snow from other areas of the curb nearby to finish their project.

Frank pushes the large ball until it’s the size that Karen desires, and with her instruction, he places the bottom portion of the snowman just to the left of the stoop of her apartment building.

Karen has already set to work on the middle portion, and when Frank finishes placing the lower third, she’s instructing him to work on the snowman’s head. Between the two of them, it takes them no time at all to finish the last two thirds and stack them atop the bottom ball.

“Right,” Karen says, eyeing up their creation, “now we just need something for buttons, eyes, a nose, arms, the scarf, and a hat.”

“Let me guess,” says Frank, standing beside her, “you’ve got just the things upstairs.”

“Actually...” Karen trails off before turning away from Frank and the snowman to approach the curb.

Checking both ways for any oncoming traffic, Karen darts across the street to the trees that line the opposite curb. Reaching up, she removes two tiny branches before returning to her side of the street.

“Arms are now complete,” she says handing off the branches to Frank. “Go on, you do the honors.”

Frank takes the branches, albeit reluctantly, and sticks one on each side of the snowman’s middle section.

“And the rest,” he asks.

Karen holds up a gloved hand, her index finger pointing upward as if to silence him while her other hand dives into her jacket pocket. She roots around for a moment before pulling out a handful of glass stones.

“They’re not very big, but they’ll do.”

The stones are a translucent blue, close in color to her eyes. Frank reaches out to take those from her too. Just as he did with the branches, he carefully places the stones where Karen instructs.

He steps back once more to stand beside her, and now, they both assess their work.

“Needs a nose,” he says gruffly, to which Karen laughs. “Don’t laugh. You wanted this, and now you laugh when I finally get into it.”

This makes Karen laugh harder, and so does Frank.

“We can forgo the nose for now. I can always run down to the corner store and pick up a carrot or something,” she replies through the laughter. “But /this/,” she says, removing her scarf, “is for him.”

Unlike the other times, Karen now takes a turn to wrap the scarf around the neck of the snowman, temporarily completing their masterpiece.

When she steps back, Frank removes his own scarf and places the plaid flannel material around her neck. “Here, you’re gonna need this more than me if you plan on stayin’ out here.”

The scarf is large and warm, and smells woody and herbaceous, just like him. Karen inhales a deep breath, breathing in the scent of him before exhaling. She had no plans to remain outdoors, but if she’s going to stay wrapped up like this then she plans on going nowhere fast.

“About that carrot,” she says with a smirk.

Frank chuckles and reaches out for her hand, which she eagerly accepts. With their hands now clasped, the pair turn and walk alongside one another down towards the corner store to retrieve a carrot for the nose. If they’re lucky, maybe they’ll find something for a hat too.


	21. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Frank take their dog for a portrait with Santa.

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

The line ahead of them has dwindled down considerably, but the closer they get to their destination the more disbelief finds its way into Frank.

He and Karen have been standing in line of a department store photography center for at least the past hour, their whole reason for being here tethered to a leash that is currently held in Frank’s hand.

Baron, the grey and white pit-bull that Frank had rescued from one of the city’s many mobs, sits perfectly poised at his feet, tongue hanging haphazardly from his mouth. Karen had read in the paper last week that there was an opportunity to take a picture with your pet. Naturally, she forced Frank alone with her, not that it took much convincing (even if he does complain about it enough for the both of them).

The line had been long, unbearably so, but Karen had been prepared. She made sure to bring the life green collapsible bowl along with a couple bottles of water so that Baron could keep hydrated while they wait (that only caused Frank to have to walk him about three times). But now they could see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, as only one more pet and their family stand in their way of their turn.

Frank couldn’t really care one way or the other about today’s activity, but Karen has once again outdone herself in her excitement. He’d done as she’d asked, and he shaved his beard, leaving his face clean and smooth for the first time in months. Karen had even gone so far as to gift him a pair of khakis and the ugliest Christmas sweater that he’s ever seen in his life; the thing lights up, for Christ sake. But because she wanted it, he wore it, and she of course wore her own version.

The pair, along with their dog, looked like a legitimate family, though Frank would compare them to something more along the lines of the Griswolds.

Karen has blatantly ignored his latest remark, as she’s done with the last fifty or so. She allows Frank to complain without so much as a quip. It’s only fair after she dragged him here.

“Next,” shouts the woman who’s dressed like an elf. She’s standing close enough to the pair as it is, the shouting seems unnecessary, and Karen lets her know as such when she offers her a displeased look.

Turning back to Frank, a twinge of uneasiness settles into the pit of her stomach.

“Think he’ll be okay,” she motions to Baron with a wave of her hand.

Frank shrugs. He isn’t sure how the dog will react. Could go smoothly, or it could go badly. It isn’t easy predicting a dog’s behavior when you don’t know its full history.

“Guess we’ll find out,” he says as they begin to approach the man who sits in the oversized faux gold throne dressed as Santa Claus.

It takes them no time at all to see Baron’s reaction. The man all dressed up as jolly Saint Nic gives a heart laugh and reaches out for the dog, the move causing Karen to inadvertently grab onto Frank’s arm. Baron’s tail wags, and Immediately, Frank allows for more slack on the leash. Baron lunges forward to deliver a hail of wet kisses, happy whimpers, and plenty of tail wags. Karen eases her grip and smiles up at Frank. He returns her smile with one of his own.

“Alright, if I could have one of you stand on one side of Santa, and the other move to the other side,” says the helper dressed like an elf. She’s already positioning herself behind the camera, and bending down, she peers trough the viewfinder. “Move over a little to your left,” she instructs Frank, who complies without so much as a single comment.

With a click of a button, the flash goes off to brighten up the area, and just like that the photo has been taken.

Saying their thank you’d and goodbyes to Santa, Frank and Karen lead Baron away from the photo area off to the side to where their printed picture awaits them.

Karen can’t help but laugh, and Frank snorts the moment their eyes lay upon the photo. They look ridiculous. They stand, flanking either side of Santa in their utterly nonsensical Christmas sweaters that have lights lit up and tinsel wrapped around to dress them as if they were Christmas trees. At the center of the photo are Santa and Baron, who actually looks as if he’s smiling. It may be ridiculous, but Karen knows that she is going to cherish this photo for as long as she has it in her possession.

Quickly paying for the photo, Karen waits for it to be placed in a temporary protector before she takes it from the woman dressed as one of Santa’s helpers. They have one last stop to make before they would go home. Karen needs a frame, particularly one that can be hung up on a wall. She plans on hanging this photo up in her bedroom so she can have a constant reminder of this day when she first wakes up in the morning, and when she falls asleep at night.


	22. Dinner in Vermont

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Frank go to Vermont for Christmas dinner.

In the short amount of time that Karen had moved to New York City, it had quickly become home for her. So much so, in fact, that she had opted to skip the next couple of Christmases with her parents so that she could instead celebrate with Matt and Foggy. But with the recent dissolving of her brief relationship with Matt, not to mention his disappearance, and her lack of time spent with Foggy, she had chosen to accept her parents’ invitation this year. Provided she could bring a guest, of course.

Frank, of course, had accepted Karen’s invitation. It’s not as if he had much else going on this holiday season, after all, save for sitting around and reminiscing on times since past, and they both know he does that enough as it is anyway. A trip to Vermont will do them well, or so Karen says.

“So, Frank, what is it that you do?”

Penelope is peering across the table at the man that sides beside Karen, her fork diving into a piece of the roast on her plate while she awaits a reply. Karen glances to her left, nearly choking on a roasted carrot when the question is asked. She’d braved herself (or so she thought) for this very question, and more, but she hadn’t expected her mother to be so intrusive so soon.

Frank mirrors Penelope’s actions, his own fork digging into the meat that sits at the top of his plate. “I’m currently readjusting to civilian life, ma’am. Currently, I’m unemployed, but actively searching.”

It’s an honest answer, though Karen wouldn’t have blamed him if he had made up some bullshit lie. Given what he’d been through within the last year, she figures it’s no one’s place to ask or judge him for it. But her mother has no idea who he is. Unlike back in New York, the legend that is The Punisher hasn’t made its way to Vermont.

“So you’re a military man,” Frank’s father says, piping up for the umpteenth time tonight.

Frank nods his head while he chews on his food, answering only when he’s swallowed. “I was, sir. Marines.”

Paxton smiles warmly. “Thank you for your service.” Unlike Penelope, Paxton doesn’t focus on the unemployed aspect of Frank’s life. For him, respect for his service trumps the rest.

Frank nods again, this time once. He doesn’t particularly enjoy when people thank him, given the shit that he’s done, but he won’t get into that, not with Karen’s parents.

Karen clears her throat in order to redirect the attention to her, hoping to ease up on the interrogation into Frank’s life if even for a brief moment.

“So,” she says, her fork swirling around on her plate, “are you planning on having us attend tonight’s mass?”

She knows full well that Frank isn’t a religious man by any stretch of the imagination, but her parents most certainly are. Since the death of Karen’s brother, followed by her move to New York, she can’t exactly say that she’s as spiritual as she used to be, but she’ll admit that she’s still a believer. If there’s one fond memory that she’s had in the past, it’s attending a nighttime Christmas candlelit mass.

“No, dear.” Penelope tears her gaze away from Frank to look at her daughter. “We won’t be opposed if you come, but we certainly won’t drag you there.”

As much as she enjoys attending, Karen thinks she’ll this one out. She isn’t planing on leaving Frank here by himself.

With their plates now cleared, Penelope rises from her seat to urge everyone to go out to the living room so that she can clear the table and serve dessert. Paxton is eager to get to Frank so that they can talk sports.

Rounding the table, he claps a hand against Frank’s shoulder, and as he begins to lead him towards the living room, a rousing discussion already begins on who Frank’s team of choice in the NFL is. Frank never was much for the NFL, he prefers the MLB, which delights Paxton even more. They discover that they both prefer Red Sox, and at this rate, Karen thinks that her father will miss out on tonight’s service with how deep into the conversation he seems.

For once, all seems right with the world (even if she can’t stand sports talk). Frank isn’t alone, and neither is she. Her parents finally seem to be in a good place. They all do. It’s a wonderful Christmas, and in the here and now, it’s a wonderful life, and Karen wouldn’t trade it for the world. Tonight, neither would Frank.


	23. Snow Covere Slopes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank and Karen go sledding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the short chapter tonight. With Christmas right around the corner, I’ve been focusing on the final chapter of these one shots while balancing everything else life has thrown at me. I’m aiming at making tomorrow’s chapter longer as well. Enjoy!

A shrill scream sounds when Karen goes flying down the hill in a blur of blue, her hands holding onto the sides of the red sled beneath her for dear life. Frank is already at the bottom of the hill laughing at the faces that she’s making as she continues down the hill at a rapid pace.

She’d come up with so many Christmas activities for the pair to do this season, but tonight, this one was all Frank. He’d had an urge to sled ever since it had first begun to snow earlier in the week. It was just a matter of allowing the buildup to occur until it was at a level that he found satisfactory. Today, it just so happened that the conditions were perfect.

The screams come to a stop when she reaches the bottom, the sled skidding to a halt mere inches from where Frank rests atop his own sled. Karen’s hair is tousled beneath her blue beanie, stray strands sticking to her already reddening face.

It’s cold out today, and though both of them had taken every precaution they could, the bite of a winter’s day has already begun to show on both of their faces.

“You goin’ again,” Frank asks, watching as Karen hastily pushes the hair from her face.

“Yeah,” she says almost immediately, “but I thought maybe this time we could ride down together.”

The statement comes off as more of a suggestion, but Frank knows that she isn’t asking. He’s more than happy to oblige.

“C’mon,” he says as he rises up onto his feet.

Using one hand, he lifts his sled to prop it up against the nearby tree while holding his other hand out for Karen to take. Without hesitation, she reaches to slip her hand into his. He effortlessly pulls her up onto her feet before taking her sled. It’s longer than his, and if either sled is going to hold both of them, it’s hers. Turning to face the hill, both Karen and Frank begin their trek back up to the hill’s top, stopping only when they reach their destination.

Frank sets the sled down onto the snow before taking a seat towards the front of he sled. He’ll be first. If this thing takes a tumble, he’ll take the brunt of the blow rather than her. He motions for Karen to join him, and she does so, taking a seat behind him on the sled before scooting closer. 

Her arms wrap firmly around his torso, and he glances over his shoulder. “You ready,” he asks, and she nods.

Using as much momentum as he can, Frank slings the sled forward, sending it careening down the hill. Karen’s hold tightens considerably, and she’s pressing her face against his back as she begins to scream (what he would consider to be) bloody murder. It’s hilarious, or at least he finds it to be. As she screams, he laughs, and in a few moments, the sled comes to a halt at the bottom of the hill.

They carry on like this for hours to follow, the pair opting to sled together rather than separately. It’s much more entertaining this way.


	24. A Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen organizes a Christmas meal for local vets.

Karen never did see herself as much of a philanthropist, though she always did advocate for others where she could. It’s what she did for Frank, after all, and her hard work had paid off in the end. But getting him a reduced sentence, and then later helping him with Micro never did seem like it was enough. She wanted to do more to help, in whatever way that she could, so she sought out Curtis. Then she sought out Frank.

Curtis has always been about helping the vets who have returned home from overseas in every era, so when Karen had come to him with her idea for the holiday, he was more than ready and willing to help her in any way that he could.

Frank was also more than willing to help, which was a nice surprise as far as Karen was concerned. It’s not that she didn’t expect him to help, but she was sure that his preference to be alone would trump her offer.

-

Five tables line the entirety of two walls of the room in which Curtis normally holds his weekly meetings. In no time at all, Karen had transformed the room into a decorative wonderland of food and Christmas cheer. With Curtis’ help, they had invited as many vets within the city limits to stop in for a hot meal and a friendly face. Thanks to Frank, Karen knows that a lot of the men who return home don’t have family, or because of their issues, have unfortunately isolate themselves this time of year. If she can provide a friendly face and a warm meal, then maybe she can help to better some of their holidays, if only for a moment.

Frank has offered to help dole out food, and in the process, he sees quite a few vets that he recognizes from his time spent in Curtis’ meetings.

The feeling is festive, and everyone seems happy with the choice of food. Karen was able to have a local barbecue joint donate food for the day’s events, and soon, the room is filling up with loud chatter and the intermittent laughter.

“You did good,” Frank says as he stands beside Karen, a spoon full of macaroni and cheese in hand.

Karen smiles, her gaze scanning the crowd of seemingly happy men and women. She nods her head in agreement before looking over to Frank. “Yeah, we did.”

Frank returns her smile with one of his own, and soon, Curtis is joining the pair. “Well, y’all really pulled it out in a short amount of time. It looks great, smells great, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”

“Thank you for your help,” Karen says to Curtis, who is smiling broadly at her.

Curtis shrugs nonchalantly, the smile still present. “It’s what I do. But I’m always happy to help a good cause.”


	25. A Christmas to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank and Karen make a memory to last a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!!! To everyone who has taken the time to read, comment, and leave kudos: thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly enjoyed everyone’s support and reactions throughout these last 25 days. I hope to do this again next year. Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy this final chapter!

Frank has never been one to get excited over holidays. Maria had always gotten excited enough for the both of them, and now that he had Karen, he finds that she’s the same in that aspect. She’d really outdone herself this time, draping lighted garland along the tops of her wall near the ceiling, putting a Christmas tree up in the corner of her living room, and framing every window in her tiny apartment with Christmas lights. There were the oddly placed decorations too, like the little wooden elf she picked up at the market last year, propped up on the bookshelf.

Karen loves this time of year. It’s the one time that she can truly let her festive side out and decorate to her heart’s content. She’s joked before about leaving the decorations up year round, a thought that Frank told her to truly entertain. If it would make her happy, then who the hell was he to stop her?

Though the decorations may be the same, this Christmas is certainly different than the rest. Since the ordeal with Russo, Frank and Karen had grown exponentially closer. So much so, in fact, that Karen had offered to allow Frank to move in. It wasn’t exactly asking in the traditional sense, Karen more or less demanded it and Frank obliged, but then nothing about either of them was traditional. They’d shed that side of them years ago.

Karen had outdone herself in the food department this year, too. She chalked it up to a feeling, a sense that “something big was coming”, but in a good way, of course. So, she wants to celebrate whatever it is the new year may bring her (and Frank, too). If only she knew..

Frank and Karen had spent the evening curled up beside one another on the couch, exchanging presents. Karen had given Frank a few small gifts like gift cards and clothes. He’s always so hard to get gifts for. The man is as simple as they come, requiring nothing more than sustenance and a bed, though he’d be quick to argue that he’d need Karen too. Frank bought her a few things for her place: a new set of sheets (the ones she’d been eyeing up on their last trip to the store), cooking utensils since she’s suddenly taken an interest in fine tuning her skills, and an elegant emerald green cocktail dress - that last one is as much for him as it is her.

“There’s one more,” he says, lifting a hand to point at the stocking that hangs from the windowsill.

Karen looks up at Frank with an excited expression, and he takes the opportunity to place a chaste kiss upon her lips before urging her to grab the stocking.

Without further hesitation, Karen leaps up from the couch and retrieves the stocking. Upon first grab, it feels lighter than air, so much so that she initially thinks that he must be confused.

“I don’t think anything’s in here,” she says, her hands feeling along the length of the stocking.

“Just reach in, somethin’s there, alright.”

He’s amused, but also nervous. The more he watches her, the more he can feel his palms sweat. He hasn’t been this nervous since Maria.

As instructed, she dives her hand into the stocking, latching onto the tiny package that sits at the foot of it and pulls it out.

It’s a small package, slightly smaller than the size of her palm, wrapped in red metallic wrapping paper and a green bow. Karen lifts a single brown in question as she looks over to where Frank sits.

“There’s no way you wrapped this yourself,” she says with a laugh.

Frank finds himself laughing as well, and rising up from his spot on the couch, he motions to the parcel as he approaches her.

“You’re right, I didn’t. But go ahead and open it.”

Karen takes her time, savoring the moment as she undoes the bow first. Frank has to fight the urge to just tear it open for her, the anticipation is killing him. Finally, after having tortured him enough, she finishes unwrapping to discover a small white box. She looks to Frank again before looking back down at the package in her hand.

She swears that her heart skips a beat, and now it’s her turn to be nervous. She can feel heat heart hammering in her chest and the blood rushing in her ears is drowning out all other sound as she slowly opens the box. Is this what she thinks it is?

In the center of the box sits a rose gold band studded with diamonds, and at the center of the band sits a morganite stone. It’s elegant but unique, classy and refined, much like her. It’s why he’d gone with that over the others.

“Frank, is this...”

She’s lost for words, and suddenly, she feels him pluck the box from her hand to remove the ring. Karen’s brows furrow, and when she watches Frank lower to his knee, she does her best to blink back the tears that begin to well up, blurring her vision.

“I know that I am, at most times, pretty miserable. I know that more often than not I’m stuck in the past instead of looking ahead to the future. You’ve put up with the pain, the joy, hell, every emotion that I could possibly muster. You’ve been there for just about it all.”

Frank swallows, his throat dry from his anxiousness. He reaches up to take her left hand, and he holds onto it as if it helps to give him the strength to finish his speech. But Karen doesn’t let him finish. She’s a sobbing mess, and she doesn’t think that she can hear any more from him. Her heart feels like it could literally burst. She flings herself at him, practically tackling him to the ground as she peppers his face with kisses.

“Yes,” she says through the sobs that have finally begun to slow. “If you’re asking me to marry you, then the answer is yes.”

Karen extends her left hand, allowing Frank to slip the ring onto her finger. With the ring secured, she reaches up to take his face in her hands, her lips crashing down onto his as he now uses both arms to hold her body against his own. For the first time since the loss of his family, Frank truly feels as if he’s ready to begin again. Thanks to Karen, he’s found his after.


End file.
